South African Watchdog Declares Israel an Apartheid State

The accusation that Israel is an “apartheid state” is a deliberate misuse of language as part of a larger strategy to erode the Israeli state’s legitimacy and deserves to be confronted. This is particularly true when it occurs in South Africa where the term “apartheid” carries extra emotional and historical weight.

Public opinion will turn sharply against Israel if people believe that it is an apartheid state, just as it did for the real apartheid regime in South Africa. The use of the term is a blatant assault on Israel’s legitimacy by the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement by linking Israel to the reviled South African regime.

So the South African Jewish Board of Deputies was absolutely right to make a complaint to South Africa’s Advertising Standards Authority concerning a radio commercial featuring the voice of Dave Randall, lead singer of the UK rock group Faithless:

Hi, I’m Dave Randall from Faithless. Twenty years ago I would not have played in apartheid South Africa; today I refuse to play in Israel. Be on the right side of history. Don’t entertain apartheid. Join the international boycott of Israel. I support southafricanartistsagainstapartheid.com.

According to the ASA’s ruling, the complainants took issue with the implied claim that Israel is an apartheid state, a factually incorrect and irresponsible comparison, and that the commercial contained a lie amounting to false propaganda. Furthermore, the call to boycott Israel is racist and hateful.

The ASA, however, ruled against the complainants. While some of the ruling was based upon technicalities, the ASA went further in order to justify its decision:

There have been numerous international missions that have observed the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and have concluded that Israel is in contravention of International Law and is an apartheid state.

It further submitted reports by a UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories as well as a copy of the International Court of Justice concerning the wall in Jerusalem. Further to this it submitted copious academic studies, newspaper articles and cartoons concerning Israel. Affidavits from Professor Uri Davis and former Minister Ronnie Kasrils were also attached.

The expression of the view that Israel is an apartheid state in contravention of international law is based on a sound factual matrix and the connection between apartheid South Africa and Israel has been made numerous times in the South African media. The claim is therefore justified and arguably capable of substantiation through this range of documentary sources.

So who are the ASA’s expert sources?

Could it be the same UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk who only in the last few days posted an anti-Semitic cartoon (see below) on his blog before removing it after being exposed by UN Watch?

The International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s security barrier never referred to it as an “apartheid wall”. This terminology was adopted by those seeking to delegitimize Israel. So why then, did the ASA also make this false linkage?

Aside from taking a lead from the media itself, did the ASA rely upon South African cartoonists such as Jonathan Shapiro a.k.a. Zapiro, whose crude anti-Israel cartoons have featured regularly on HonestReporting over the years, earning him a 2007 Dishonest Reporter Award?

And as for Ronnie Kasrils, his prominent political position has given him a platform to air his extremist views that Israel has no right to exist and his hatred of the Jewish state. Sadly, it appears that he was also able to influence the ASA.

The ASA’s conclusion, not only that there is no case to answer for linking apartheid to Israel, but that Israel is actually an apartheid state, is nothing short of disgusting. That this has happened in South Africa, the victim of genuine apartheid is equally disturbing and demonstrates the extent to which this false comparison has become treated as mainstream opinion.

Isn’t it about time we produced a short video comparing ‘apartheid’ in Israel – as claimed by our detractors – with the reality of the historic and current apartheid of South Africa and which is alive and well in other countries? The longer we refrain from hitting back, the more this becomes the accepted wisdom. If someone or some organisation is prepared to sponsor it, I’ll organise the production and distribution to a wide audience.
And on a totally different – but related – topic, just a wee word of advice to Paul and Hilton and others who might understandably be tempted to resort to similar intemperate language: don’t. There’s a danger of descending to the level of the ignorant mindless people who attack and vilify us, and we are above that. We need to be seen as the people with the rational arguments, with the facts rather than merely expressing our anger. I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment, but don’t say it. Think it and do everything you can to do it!!!!!

ASA and Mr Randall obviously do not know their facts. ISRAEL wants only PEACE in their land. All throughout history we see the struggles of the Jewish people and the terrible suffering they had to endure. Even though Israel comprises less than 1% land mass of the Arab world, people still want to take their land. World media often does not give coverage on the truth about Israel. Take for example this article i read some time this year regarding the Goldstone Report: “The Goldstone Report generated a tidal wave of anti-Israel sentiment and fuelled anti-Israel campaigns from the European Union to Church deliberations to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanction efforts on campuses worldwide. One wonders had Judge Richard Goldstone reported the truth, and shown Israel to be the true democratic nation which they are, would the Methodist Conference and other Christian groups have had a more positive view of the people and Land of Israel? The big lie that the Israeli military acted like Nazis has now been retracted. The United Nations spread that libel and only the United Nations can retract it. However, at the same time, often the media channels such as the BBC, CBN etc pick up issues such as the Goldstone Report and show a very negative and condemning slant on Israel’s actions to defend herself amongst other issues. Now is the time for these media channels to tell the truth. I have yet to hear any major TV News Channel in the UK make mention of Judge Richard Goldstone’s retraction… have you? ”
The Word: “Son of dust, prophesy to Israel’s mountains [The West Bank]. Tell them: ‘Listen to this message from the Lord. “‘Your enemies have sneered at you and claimed your ancient heights as theirs; they have destroyed you on every side and sent you away as slaves to many lands. You are mocked and slandered. Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God. He says to the hills and mountains, dales and valleys, and to the ruined farms and the long-deserted cities, destroyed and mocked by heathen nations all around: My anger is afire against these nations, especially Edom, for grabbing my land with relish, in utter contempt for me, to take it for themselves… My people Israel will walk upon you once again… No longer will those heathen nations sneer, for you will no longer be a nation of sinners,” the Lord God says. (Ezekiel 36:1-15 TLB)
Mr Randall, have a little faith…and learn the Jewish history before making such statements.

That inhumane guy from the band faithless is a moron! Who would listen to his crap anyway! These wannabe stars trying to get into politics and world events no nothing oc what they preach! Need to get your facts strait! Israel is an awesome state they deserve there land it belongs to them! And I will fight and go against anyone who comes against Israel period!

Any document, finding or sentence with the concocted lie called, ‘Occupied Palestinian Territories’ is erroneous with nefarious intentions.
Fuck you, ASA (I have my own interpretation of that anagram, too).

Terms such as “territories,” “occupation,” “apartheid,” and “settlements,” are simply a distortion of “reality.” The Reality where COUNTRIES grow, expand, prosper, and evolve has left extremely envious types in the dust. Any “democracy can only be called such where ALL kinds of religions, traditions, cultural puralities, and Peoples, inhabit the Land – THIS describes, the JEWISH Homeland – the Liberal Democratic State of Israel, Tthe US, the UK, Australia ect. This “REALITY<" does NOT describe countries where Christians, Jews and all non-Islamic Peoples are persecuted, their places of worship destroyed, Women denied active representation in civil life – often times stoned to death, and sexual minorities anre MURDERED, Human Rights systematically Violated , Civil Rights are Non-Existence, any solitary stranger needs to pay a "tax" and is held tp be a 4th class citizen, and the Oppressive Collusive mindset on the part of the Majority of citizens which encourages, agrees with these heinous non-human, anti-human activities. This has NEVER described the aforementioned Nations, Particularly ISRAEL, the same can simply not be said of Islamic Countries. The "Arab Spring," has nothing to do with anyone else but Arab Peoples, no one else is welcome to the Arab lands, and as a matter of HISTORICAL FACT, Jews were Deported, Assets taken over, and lands expropriated.

There should be NO doubt that Peoples here does NOT include non-Islamic Peoples, it is as though we matter not, unless we wish to pay taxes for daring to be non-muslim.

Writing as a black South African who has lived in Israel and who continues to live in SA, I can only put this latest calumny down to willful ignorance. Anyone who is not an anti-Zionist propagandist and has any knowledge of the two countries would never equate Apartheid with present day Israel.

Israel allows for free speech and still has an Arab population within its boarders. It has shown tolerance in many ways , one for example being the Sharey Zedok medical centre which has provided medical care to individuals on both sides of the conflict and has treated Palestinians. How can a nation such as this be called tyranical and be compared to a nation which sponsored class and racial division such as South Africa during its Apatheid?

the country that has ousted any form of self reliance from the past regimes of work and pay your bills has been disbanded in SA.
whilst you Dave Randall from Faithless rave about apparthied, all i can see is hate behind a false front towards a prosperous Israel, that came out of dust and sand before they arrived in 1948. That wee country now called Israel,.. Gods people,.. have worked and laboured away driving away many of the ills that now befall such once prosperous places like SA and Rodesia ooops Zimbabwee.
It appears only those that call nasty names to Israel are after all envious and appathetic in their work ethics.
Why not bless Israel and you will be blessed for it is written;
The Call of Abram
1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”[
So there be your answer.
Gods blessings into your life…..

From the news:
Arthur Goldreich, who died Tuesday, May 24, 2011, at 82 in Tel Aviv, fought in the pre-state Jewish underground in Israel before returning to S.A. in 1954 to fight against apartheid.

A few days ago your club decided in all it’s wisdom to declare the State of Israel an “Apartheidsstate”.
Well, that’s the way you see it, and there might be a couple of circumstances that you feel are pointing in that direction.

Given this I like to ask you to answer a question that haunts me a bit:
“Why in hell decided a dedicated fighter against Apartheid in Suid-Afrika to find shelter in Israel, after escaping from prison in S-A? (1963)
And never bothered to return to S-A after the Apartheid finished.
Why stay in a country that, according to you, is an Apartheidsstate?
He, as an expert on, and victim of apartheid, unlike you, decided to stay in Israel.
Why didn’t he return to S-A to settle in a country without apartheid?”

May be he decided the crime rate in S-A too high, against the security the Israeli State offered him?
May be he found apartheid still exists in Suid-Afrika?
—–
Apart from the fact that you ain’t got the power to declare things:

Actually I have to disagree with you for declaring the State of Israel an “Apartheidsstate”, as the main reason for their actions is given in by their urge to protect their people, and survive as a nation in the presence of hostile neighbors.

Such sometimes calls for unpleasant actions in order to achieve that goal.
I admit that some actions sometimes seem to be a bit ridiculous, but considering the costs involved I don’t believe they take them in order to harass them people.
——
Israel exists since 1948, and you have to live with it, whether you like it or not.
By coincidence being the same year (1948) as apartheid became policy in Suid-Afrika, after the HNP did win elections.
—–
The Boer should say: “Jy praat ‘n bietjie kak, jy.”

Just see how Hamas treats the PLO and vice versa. Smells of the real South African type apartheid, just not based on skin colour. We could also look at Syria , Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey etc. to learn about ethnic discrimination.

South Africa was undeniably at its peak performance during the Afrikaner Era. The gravest error was Apartheid. Had that never been socially engineered, South Africa would still have been a haven among the nations of the world. Most people would’ve fallen to their rightful place in society according to their productivity, etc. A large Middle Class would’ve been present. The reality today is a huge chasm that exists between rich and poor.

However, to label Israel an ‘Apartheid’ state is unfounded. When will the world stop coming against and attempting to divide the Holy Land? Political leaders will do well to heed the words of God Himself in a promise made to Abra[ha]m as recorded in Genesis 12:3…

“I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

@Michael Ravdin, actually there were many blacks in universities, there weren’t signs all over the place saying no entrance to blacks, blacks had their own governments in their homelands. I lived under apartheid in South Africa for 27 years. The radical left successfully demonized white South Africans for simply wanting to live in safety and not be robbed and murdered by barbarians and are now trying to demonize Israeli for not wanting to be murdered by Arab terrorists. There are more differences than similarities between Israel and South Africa but please people stop the evil nonsense of calling white South Africans racists and pratting about “racist apartheid” when as in Israel it was never about race it was about a civilized victims trying to protect themselves from a constant uncivilized aggressor without having to resort to exterminating the aggressor in the hope that peace could eventually be achieved.

The main problem with apartheid was that it was severely short sighted and did not deal with the reality that black South Africans were very rapidly becoming westernised and forsaking their old culture of tribal conquests and robbery. It did not cater in a sensible manner for the relatively large ethnic groups who were neither westernized white nor tribal black. But to portray apartheid as evil white people persecuting innocent black people is bullshit and just as evil as the demonization of Israelis.

The SouthAfrican “dog” probabely forgot the simptoms of Apartheid in his country. There were no blacks in the parliament or in any public position, no black students in any university together with whites, everywhere there were signs saying “entrance forbidden for blacks”, no black doctors, if there were any, were allowed to work in hospitals treating whites.
I wonder if the watchdog knows anything about the situation in Israel regarding Arabs.
I wonder if he is bribed to spread those lies.

I never understood and still do not understand. Muslim Arabs are the only one responsible and still practicing today slavery towards black Africans and yet this is totally ignored by African leaders. I guess for the leaders of black Africa, petro$ is worth the price of slavery.
Most countries accusing Israel of apartheid are doubly ignorant. They have no idea of the meaning of the word and they have never put a foot in Israel.

I’ve never heard of the UK band “Faithless”. This must be part of their publicity campaign, and being good at counting, I am sure big Dave Randall thought to himself, “You know, there are more than 10 times the number of Muslims than there are Jews, so I’m going to cater my [crappy, lame, and hardly interesting] music to them.”

There is indeed a similarity between apartheid in South Africa and Israel’s attempts to protect its citizens from “Palestinian” terrorism. Do you honestly think that aparheid in South Africa was about a bunch of white people deciding randomly to be nasty to black people? No the historical reality that the political left have so successfully covered up is that apartheid was a policy established by relatively moderate white South Africans for protection against the constant onslaught of murders and robberies committed against them by black South Africans. Whereas the real right wing in South Africa felt that whites should retaliate with guns, the moderates came up with apartheid – the idea of separating whites and blacks with the blacks eventually getting their own independent states. Sound familiar?

Dave Randall from the Faithless group is ”NO Surprise” from the UK.
Once upon the time,….there was a country called United Kingdom,…it is no more!
The NITWITTS in show business like this ”Nitwitt du jour Dave Randall” is just one more in the long list of low IQ corrupt individuals.
Apartheid in Israel? What are these people trying to do ”again moral equivalency” ??????
Jews in South Africa should broacast (TV or Radio) any current day documentary on Israel’s society and its laws to counter these lies once for all.